You’re thinking of a huge rainforest in the Amazon but the Amazon is thousands of miles away. Might as well have a forest in your backyard. It has its similarities to Amazon but the major difference is that nothing is going to poison you! A food forest is a low-maintenance, sustainable, plant-based food production and agroforestry system based on woodland ecosystems, incorporating fruit and nut trees, shrubs, herbs, vines and perennial vegetables which have yields directly useful to humans.
Example of a Food Forest:
Personally, I’m partially familiar with the benefits of food forests as well as the sustainability of food forests. When I went to Austin, Texas in the early summer there was a food forest near the city. It was extremely sustainable even while being surrounded by neighboring buildings and various sources of carbon emissions. That’s one of the main downfalls to having food forests in urban areas. The soil can be polluted and the food can be very easily consumed by pests or consumed by unwanted intruders.
Festival Beach Food Forest: (Austin, Texas)
Food forests provide urban areas with various fruits, veggies, as well as nuts and pumpkins. Everybody loves pumpkins and apple picking in the fall time.
The main reason why food forests are growing in popularity is because they are an effective way to bring the community together to make healthy and nutritious food while accomplishing the goal of food sustainability.
Community coming together in a Food Forest:
Green space is not just “a little bit of nature” in the cityscape such as Austin or Chicago. They can have a multifunctional system that yields lasting payoffs such as leisure, health, and well-being; food production; habitat conservation; watershed management; urban canopy; and social interaction. Community food forests encourage people to think in terms of abundance and inspire neighborhoods to act on their own behalf. They promote a culture of sharing, stewardship, and nature-centered health. Food forests also create an environment where instead of rows of crops they mimics a natural ecosystem as well as maintaining sustainability in which fruits, nuts, veggies, and many other foods are growing.
How are food forests beneficial?
One of the perks of having a food forest is meeting the high demands for nutritious food throughout America. Especially in urban areas such as Chicago or Austin, finding nutritious food in a big city is necessary for the health of civilians when these cities are a hotspot for food deserts.
Food Deserts in the U.S:
A key reason why these food forests in urban areas are sustainable is there is minimal transport from the growth of the plant/food to the consumer. They are reducing food-related carbon emissions as well as money on the expenses of food transportation. The utilization of companion planting makes it so that plants on the ground as well as plants higher up can rely on each other to have a full circle food forest using common practices. For example, some plants need more shade than others and apple trees need lots of sunlight, so apple trees can very easily shade the plants that need it. Companion planting also utilizes the use of natural mulch, as well as heat and cold protection, conserve water, control soil and pests. Another reason why food forests are beneficial especially in major cities is because since cities are heavily polluted these trees can provide a filtration system and help cities have more clean oxygen.
Food forests are what make cities healthy. Food forests build community. Food forests are sustainable. You need a food forest in your life.
If you want to know how to make a food forest:
The main aspect that influences people to have these mini food forests in their backyard is that it is very low maintenance and it’s so easy. If you want to have your very own food forest there are many different ways to go about making it. First you have to figure out what kind of food you want? It can be anything from apple trees, to pumpkins, to everyday veggies but trees are necessary to make your own food forest. A diversity of different plants and trees can really impact the sustainability of your food forest as well as the impact of foods that you’re getting just from your backyard! You want to find out where you want your food forests as well as the main goal of your food forest as well as what landscape and how much space you have to make a food forest. Do you want to be more self reliant? More sustainable? Or do you just want a mini forest in your backyard to maintain as a hobby?
Next, you need to explore what works best in your specific area. For example if you live in the north a food forest would be hard to maintain year round yet, if you’re in a warmer climate it is much easier to have a food forest year round. You want to look at what plants thrive in your climate as well as what plants will easily be dead by fall. I know that in Illinois we grow corn and soy beans throughout the spring and summer but by fall all the corn harvest and corn farms are turned into corn mazes.
Next, you need to design your food forest. There are 7 layers to the food forest. One, tall tree layer, two, low tree layer, three, shrub layer, four, herb layer, five, ground layer, six, vine layer, and seven, root layer.
Seven Layers of a Food Forest:
After you have chosen your layout and what plants thrive the best in your specific climate and landscape you plant!
A forest garden with 500 edible plants could lead to a sustainable future. (n.d.). Retrieved September 21, 2020, from https://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/short-film-showcase/00000168-c3bb-d3a0-a17f-ffbf61780000
Foodfuelfuture. (n.d.). The Rise of Community Food Forests. Retrieved September 21, 2020, from https://sustainableamerica.org/blog/the-rise-of-community-food-forests/
Papprentice. (2018, April 28). Creating a Food Forest – Step by Step Guide. Retrieved September 21, 2020, from https://permacultureapprentice.com/creating-a-food-forest-step-by-step-guide/
Sustainable Food Center. (2020, September 09). Retrieved September 21, 2020, from https://sustainablefoodcenter.org/